Once used as a derogatory term the word gypsy is used today to describe persons of nomadic lifestyles, whatever their race or origin. It also describes a counter culture movement that idealizes exploration and art.

Modern gypsies, not to be confused with hippies often play the tambourine and perform some form of belly dance fusion/burlesque or fire dance. Many practice an earth based spirituality. They make their own clothes and wear corsets, dreadlocks and/or adorn their hair with colorful braided yarn extensions.

Gothic/Dark Gypsies may do all of the above but wear mostly black and have many tattoos.

1. Race of Romany people descendent from mainly Eastern Europe where they are despised as thieves and wastrels.

2. Non-racial group of people of no common descent who choose to live in camps, thus opting out of civilised society, yet still wanting to take part in elements such as the Welfare State. They are despised as thieves and wastrels.

We can't go to that park any more, the gypsies'll gut us and steal our money.

An ethnic group of people that are severely misunderstood.
Although most ignorant people will claim that they are thieves and scoundrels, they are simply human being who are trying to live honest lives. Don't blame the entire Romany community for the mistakes of a couple of fools. Please and Thank you.

The Romani people, commonly called Gypsies are an ethnic group of people originally from India.
They have faced persecution discrimination and genocidal policies since entering Europe in the early 1100's or so.
They have been denied their traditional means of livelihood and then are condemned for surviving.
Even today they are subjected to pograms across Eastern Europe and forced deportations from Western Europe.

I am appalled by the virulent racism evidenced on this site.
It's interesting that the site rejects inside jokes yets allows this murderous slander of an entire group of people.
I am appalled and outraged by the virulent racism shown in most of these submissions.

noun- 1. a person of Romani descent. The Roma never referred to themselves as gypsies; this is actually a misnomer, in the same way that Columbus saw the Native Americas and mistakenly called them Indian. The name gypsy comes from Latin-speakers who thought they fit the dark-skinned idea of Egyptians. True romani are not thieves or social scum, but have been prosecuted for centuries as such. In fact, during the Holocaust, they were exterminated in the same way that Slavs & Jews were. Still, for what ever reason, the stigmas and stereotypes still exist. Real roma reside in many countries such as England, Spain, Italy, and some eastern bloc countries. The only reason why so many Romani live in ghettos is because of overt racism. Because they have been persecuted for so long, there aren't any roma rights groups, and as such, the cycle of poverty persists.

2. The other group called 'gypsy' aren't gypsies at all. They are actually 'Irish Travellers' and thought of as an ethnic group in the UK, though the Irish government doesn't consider them as such. They are known for being lazy, disgusting, inbred thieves who resort to all types of faggotry in order make cash. Their cunt activities include but are not limited to: theft- (car, shoe, clothing, misc); tarmacking one's driveway for some unknown and probably retarded reason, breaking & entering the residences of retired old people, and much more. Biologists believe that these so called gypsies scent mark and will attack anyone who does not smell as putrid as they do. The natural enemy of the pikey is taxes- so much as mentioning the dreaded word will send them running away in hordes, not to mention soiling their already questionable pants. Typical pikey attire includes cheap shirts, track suits, stolen trainers, and whatever they can steal off someones back, regardless if it fits or not. They lack a language and instead, communicate through a series of guttural snorts, snarls, and spits that is produced by grinding the English language down to the gritty dregs and adding a dollop of mutilated Irish. Avoid at all costs. The only effective way to get rid of a pikey infestation is to hose down the grotty little creatures with soap, mouthwash, holy water and force them to get a job.

verb- To steal or in any other way, behave like a 'gypsy pike'

adjective- indicative of lecherous traits; prone to theft and often precedding the word 'traveller' and synonymous with 'scum'

That gypsy pike stole my lawn chair!
Have a looka at that gypsy broad- shes got more rings than she does fingers!
The Kalderash clan from romania are a productive, hard working family of respected blacksmiths- not the filth they're portrayed as!

Don't listen to all these racist bullshit stereo types, I'm a Gypsy and I'm not a "bad" person at all, I don't steal or scam people.

There are two types of Gypsies out there, there are the ones who still live by their traditions (speak the Rom language, don't date outside their race, work as psychics, etc) and there are the ones like me who live just like everyday people work 9-5, go to church, school, etc.

Not all Gypsies are thieves and liars just like not all blacks are ghetto and dangerous, and not all white people are bisexual pedophiles.